Granny says, "Dat's right - the air's so thick ya can cut it with a knife...Beijing Air Quality Worst on Record January 13, 2013 - Beijing is under an extreme smog warning Sunday, with pollution at hazardous levels for a third day, and people warned to stay indoors.

The municipal environment warning center issued an alert Saturday in China's capital, advising the elderly, children and those suffering respiratory or cardiovascular illness to avoid going out or doing strenuous exercise.

Skyscrapers are obscure by heavy haze in Beijing, China, January 13, 2013.

The center said Sunday that particulates small enough to deeply penetrate lungs were at nearly four times the level considered safe. The readings were called the worst on record. China's official state-run Xinhua news agency predicted that the pollution could last another three days.

Meanwhile, fog covering vast areas of eastern and central China has closed numerous highways and delayed flights in several provinces. International organizations say China's air quality is among the worst in the world because of massive coal consumption and car-choked city streets.

Beijings air pollution goes off the indexMon, Jan 14, 2013 - EXACERBATING: One of the factors causing the extreme air pollution was a lack of wind as pollutants can easily accumulate and fail to dissipate, a health expert said

People refused to venture outdoors and buildings disappeared into Beijings murky skyline yesterday as the capitals air quality went off the index. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center said on its Web site that the density of PM2.5 particulates had surpassed 700 micrograms per cubic meter in many parts of the city. The WHO considers a safe daily level to be 25 micrograms per cubic meter. PM2.5 are tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size or about 1/30th the average width of a human hair. They can penetrate deep into the lungs, so measuring them is considered a more accurate reflection of air quality than other methods. The Beijing center recommended that children and the elderly should stay indoors, and others should avoid outdoor activities.

The US embassy also publishes data for PM2.5 on Twitter, and interprets the data according to more stringent standards. In the 24-hour period up to 10 am yesterday, it said 18 of the hourly readings were beyond index. The highest number was 755 which corresponded to a PM2.5 density of 886 micrograms per cubic meter. The US Environmental Protection Agencys air quality index only goes up to 500 and it advises anything greater than 300 would trigger a health warning of emergency conditions with the entire population likely affected. While some people vowed to stay indoors with air purifiers turned on, streets were still fairly busy and there was the familiar sight of lines of traffic on main thoroughfares.

A young couple strolled along hand in hand in the central business district, both with matching white masks strung around their faces. Two Taiwanese tourists wore masks they said they had brought with them because they heard Beijings pollution was so bad. I dont know why there is such heavy haze these past days. Its really quite serious compared with the air quality three days ago, said a 33-year-old lawyer, who would give only his surname, Liu, as he adjusted his own mask. He said he had only ventured out because he needed to go shopping. PM2.5 can result from the burning of fuels in vehicles and power plants.

Weather conditions are a factor in the recent poor air quality as a lack of wind means pollutants can easily accumulate and fail to dissipate, said Pan Xiao Chuan, a professor at Peking Universitys public health department. Recent pollution doesnt mean there is an increase in the discharge of pollutants, he said. Experts say they thought the PM2.5 readings were the highest since Beijing started publishing that data early last year.

If yer going to Beijing, China be sure to wear a gas mask on yer face, if yer going to Beijing, China (sung to the tune of If You're Going to San Francisco)...Beijing warns residents after off-the-charts smog13 Jan.`12  Beijing schools kept children indoors and hospitals saw a spike in respiratory cases Monday following a weekend of off-the charts pollution in China's smoggy capital, the worst since the government began being more open about air-quality data.

City authorities, who began releasing figures about some of the worst kinds of pollutants early last year, ordered many factories to scale back emissions and were spraying water at building sites to try to tamp down dust and dirt worsening the noxious haze hanging over the city. Demand spiked for face masks and air purifiers, and hospitals saw surges of up to 30 percent in residents seeking help for breathing problems, state-run media outlets reported. Schools in several districts were ordered to cancel outdoor activities such as flag-raisings and sports classes, and in an unusual public announcement, Beijing authorities advised all residents to "take measures to protect their health." "It's really terrible. I'm extremely upset, but there's really nothing much I can do," said a Beijing resident out for a morning stroll. Like many Chinese, the man would give only his surname, Kang.

Another man, a 60-year-old retiree surnamed Chen, said his elderly relatives had moved to stay with family members outside the city to avoid the pollution. "I'm in pretty good shape, but the older folks have a lot of problems with their hearts, breathing, and high blood pressure," Chen said. Levels of PM2.5 particle pollution over the weekend reached the highest levels since the Beijing government began publicly releasing figures following a public outcry. In separate monitoring by the U.S. Embassy, level were at 886 micrograms per cubic meter in a reading that was labeled "beyond index."

By Monday, levels had declined to about 350 micrograms on the Beijing government scale  down from a high above 700 but still way above the level of 25 considered safe by the World Health Organization. PM2.5 are tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size, or about 1/30th the average width of a human hair. They can penetrate deep into the lungs, and measuring them is considered a more accurate reflection of air quality than other methods.

The Beijing Shijitan Hospital received 20 percent more patients than usual at its respiratory health department, Dr. Huang Aiben said. Most patients were coughing and sought treatment for chronic bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory illnesses, Huang said. "Because these dust particles are relatively fine, they can be directly absorbed by the lung's tiny air sacs. The airway's ability to block the fine dust is relatively weak and so bacteria and viruses carried by the dust can directly enter the airway," Huang said.

It does seem to be a pretty good example of what happens when you lack comprehensive oversight, regulation and effective enforcement of regulations. It is easy to get the impression that this is the system many conservatives would prefer.

Granny says good luck with dat one...China plans rules against air pollutionMon, Jan 21, 2013 - THROUGH THE HAZE: Authorities are increasingly concerned about air quality because the issue plays into popular resentment over rising inequality and political privilege

Beijing is to unveil unprecedented new rules governing how Chinas capital reacts to hazardous air pollution, Xinhua news agency said, as deteriorating air quality threatens to become a rallying point for wider political dissatisfaction. The rules will formalize previous ad hoc measures, including shutting down factories, cutting back on burning coal and taking certain vehicle classes off the roads on days when pollution hits unacceptable levels.

Air quality in Beijing, on many days degrees of magnitude below minimum international health standards for breathability, is of increasing concern to Chinas leadership because it plays into popular resentment over political privilege and rising inequality in the worlds second-largest economy.

Domestic media have run stories describing the expensive air purifiers government officials enjoy in their homes and offices, alongside reports of special organic farms so cadres need not risk suffering from recurring food safety scandals. Smog blanketed most of the city from late on Friday, prompting the government to warn people to reduce outdoor activities. On Saturday, an index measuring particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), rose as high as 400 in some parts in the city.

HAZARDOUS

A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the WHO recommends a daily level of no more than 20. The reading was still lower than the previous weekend, when it hit a staggering 755. Lung cancer rates in the city have shot upward by 60 percent in the last decade, according to a report by the state-run China Daily in 2011, even as smoking rates have flattened out. The pollution has also deterred foreigners from living and working in Greyjing.

It does seem to be a pretty good example of what happens when you lack comprehensive oversight, regulation and effective enforcement of regulations. It is easy to get the impression that this is the system many conservatives would prefer.

Granny says, "Dat's right - when ya go to visit, don't drink the water...Chinas Other Pollution Problem: WaterJanuary 23, 2013  When chemicals recently contaminated a river in Chinas northern Shanxi province, it took authorities five days to report the incident. While the mayor offered an apology and chemical plant officials were dismissed, the spill ended up affecting drinking water in several cities downstream.

It also dealt another blow to public confidence in the government. Official statistics indicate China has around 1,700 water pollution accidents each year, and up to 40 percent of the countrys rivers are seriously polluted. Not only are natural water sources polluted, but they are becoming scarce as well. Beijing is one place where the debate over water quality and quantity is coming to a head. Of the more than 100 rivers that there are now in Beijing, only two or three can be used for tap water  and those are the ones that the government in Beijing is protecting," says Zhao Feihong, a water researcher at the Beijing Healthcare Association. "Those are the ones that we can use water from, the rest of the rivers if they have not dried up, then they are polluted by discharge.

Zhao and her husband, who is also a water researcher, recently became the focus of state-media online outlets after confessing they have not let Beijings tap water touch their lips in 20 years. Their story drew attention just as Beijings city government began releasing water quality statistics  long treated as a state secret  for the first time. According to Zhao, the move is a step in the right direction. The fact that it can be disclosed is an improvement for the common people who will better understand the water that they drink," she says. "So this is a relatively good thing, but I think that publicizing this figure is not enough.

Instead of periodically releasing statistics, Zhao says, the government should let the public know immediately what to do if something affects the drinking water. Hao Yungang became a part of Beijings water debate after publishing photos of gunk gathering in his faucet on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo micro-blogging service. I did not anticipate that the level of interest would be so high," says Hao. "But these days, people have higher and higher expectations about the quality of life, whether it is water, food safety, pollution or even traffic. Like many in Beijing, Hao says he uses tap water to wash dishes and filtered water to cook. While he believes officials who say Beijings water is safe at its source, he knows that what happens between the treatment plant and his home is another matter.

Smog so thick ya can cut it with a knife...Beijing smog levels go off scaleWed, Jan 30, 2013 - HEAVY HAZE: The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center air quality index at noon yesterday was 414, while the US embassys reading was 475, which is hazardous

Residents across northern China battled through choking pollution yesterday, as air quality levels rose above index limits in Beijing amid warnings that the smog may not clear until tomorrow. Visibility was reduced to about 200m in the center of the capital, where mask-wearing pedestrians made their way through a murky haze, despite warnings from authorities to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. In a Beijing city office visited by reporters, up to 20 workers wore gas-mask style protective headgear at their desks as the cloud of pollution shrouded large swathes of the country for the second consecutive day. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) showed vehicles using full headlights in mid-morning to light a way through the smog, mainly in badly affected Henan Province.

A total of 109 flights were canceled at Zhengzhou Airport in Henan, said CCTV, adding that the haze would last until tomorrow. In Shandong Province, almost 2,000 passengers were stranded at Qingdaos main airport after it shut with 20 flights canceled as visibility dropped to 100m, Xinhua news agency reported. It is at least the fourth time a dense cloud of haze has descended on northern China this winter, with even state media repeatedly expressing anger over the issue. The China Daily reiterated its calls for firm action yesterday, directing them at newly installed Beijing Mayor Wang Anshan, who formally took over on Monday. What do Beijing residents expect of their new mayor? the newspaper asked in an editorial. Of all the things that need improving, cleaner air will be at the top of many peoples wish list.

Wang was quoted by Xinhua as saying: The current environmental problems are worrisome. The US embassys air quality index reading for Beijing stood at 475 and hazardous at noon yesterday, after having reached 517, or beyond index, at 6am. The index rates a reading over 150 as unhealthy, above 300 as hazardous, while anything over the upper limit of 500 is regarded as beyond index. Meanwhile, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center gave the figure as 414 at noon, indicating the capitals air was severely polluted.

The toxic air follows an extreme bout of pollution earlier this month, peaking on Jan. 13 when state media said readings for PM2.5, particles small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs, reached 993 micrograms per cubic meter, almost 40 times the WHOs recommended safe limit. At the height of the smog, many Beijing residents rushed to buy face masks and air purifiers, and doctors at two of Beijings major hospitals said the number of patients with respiratory problems had increased sharply during the period. Chinas pollution problems are blamed on the countrys rapid urbanization and dramatic economic development. However, experts have raised questions over Chinas will and ability to tackle car and coal use, which are seen as key causes of the phenomenon.

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